Experiences with Sense & Sensibility

Funky Nests, Oh My!

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is hosting a “Funky Nests” contest for their Celebrate Urban Birds project. The above image is of a wren nest in a basket in my backyard (Atlanta, GA). For the contest, I composed a quatrain of Latin poetry (dactylic hexameter) addressing the bird. Check it out in the entry here (or click the picture above).

Check out the following video, too, of the wren feeding her young. (I’m one of the voices in the background wondering if the video will work.) That entry is here.

Submit your own pictures in celebration of urban birds! Let’s show the little guys that we appreciate them.

I appreciate your concern narhvalur. I always try to take care in observing a nest, as per the code of conduct at the following link: http://nestwatch.org/learn/how-to-nestwatch/code-of-conduct/. I approached the nest to place the camera nearby only after several days of careful observation of the birds’ habits. (As the nest was next to our door to the garage, they were quite habituated to our presence, too, I should note.) Thanks.

Hi Narhvalur, we’ll also “chime in” on this comment to point out that the Lab’s “funky nest” project often relates to birds building nests in strange urban locations, such as the engines of unused cars, wintering garden equipment, etc.